The Road to College

Welcome to Senior Year!

Topics

Graduation Requirements

Timelines

Types of Deadlines

College Search Process Types of schools

Naviance

Standardized Testing

Financial Aid Overview

HHS Graduation Requirements

Area Credit

English 4.0

Social Studies (Including US History) 3.0

Math 3.0

Science 3.0

Computer Lit and Career Exploration .5

School to Careers 1.0

Fine Arts or Foreign Language 1.0

Wellness 1.0

Electives 3.5

Total 20.0

Meet with your Counselor to review your plan

Finalize list of colleges and continue to visit campuses *2 + 2 + 2 (Safety – Probable – Reach)

Attend Local College Fairs (HHS Mini Fairs October 2013, SNHU, UNH, NECC)

Request letters of Recommendation and complete Senior Resume – Available in the Senior Booklet!

Complete college essays and review them.

Take college entrance exams (SAT/ACT) again

Create a Common Application Account for appropriate schools and complete FERPA form on Naviance.

If you are applying Early Action, submit your application. Deadlines are typically around November 1st, but check with individual schools as some may be earlier.

Remember all application materials must be submitted to Guidance 2 weeks prior to the deadline!

What should I be doing now?Fall Timeline

Types of Deadlines Early Action (Non-Binding)

Typically Oct 15, Nov 1, Nov 15

Early Decision (Binding) Typically Oct 15, Nov 1, Nov 15

Regular Decision Varies…as early as December 1 and as late as April 1

Rolling Admission Applications are processed upon arrival. Acceptance/denial

letters received in about 6-8 weeks

Open Enrollment Admittance is dependent upon graduation from high school

Submit applications Deadlines are typically around January 1, but check

with each school.

Complete the necessary financial aid forms, including the FAFSA (after January 1st).

Attend the Financial Aid Workshop by MEFA Tentatively scheduled for January 7th

Continue to apply to outside scholarships.

Ask your counselor to complete any necessary Mid-Year School Reports. They are typically due in February.

Winter Timeline

You are almost done! You will typically receive notification letters at the beginning of April.

Discuss with your parents the financial aid offers and contact the schools if they are seriously insufficient.

Notify the schools of your admission decision and send your deposit to your new college (May 1st).

Take part in “Pre-Frosh” events and visitations.

Spring Timeline

What are the options

for college?How much training & education am I willing to get to achieve my

career & life goals?

2-year Technical School or

Community College4-year University or

College

2-Year Technical & Community Colleges

Affordable Community College costs between $5,000 and

$6,000 per year

Stepping Stone One or two successful years at a community college

can help you get in as a transfer student to your dream school and help you develop the characteristics (such as independence, ambition and maturity) necessary to become a successful college student.

Licensure/Certification These schools offer hundreds of Associate Degree

and Certificate Programs that lead to licensure in the career field of your choice.

2-Year Admissions Requirements

High School Diploma

Completion of the Accu-placer Exam administered by the college that evaluates

English and Math proficiency. These scores determine which math and English classes are appropriate for your 1st semester of college

Local 2-year Community Colleges

Massachusetts Community Colleges share a commitment to provide students with opportunities not only for an excellent education but also a well-rounded college experience.

Student clubs and activities, events, performances, and community service opportunities are among the many options. Many colleges have intercollegiate or club athletic teams, and each has a student government that facilitates student involvement in the life of the campus and provides opportunities for leadership.

4-Year Colleges and Universities

There are over 2,000 4-year colleges and universities in

the country. Decide the factors that are important to you to help narrow down a

list of schools that are a good match for you.

Factors to Consider

Location, Location, Location!

How far are you willing to go?

Size and Enrollment

Have you dreamed of attending a huge university or do you prefer a

medium or small college?

Money, Money, Money!

The investment of college is expensive. When finalizing your

list of colleges; be sure to include schools which are “financially safe” such as state schools and

community college

Programs of Study

Not all schools have all academic majors. If you have not yet

chosen a major, be sure to look at schools that have all of your academic areas of interest.

Selectivity/Admission

Requirements GPA & quality of courses

Standardized Test Scores

Extracurricular Activities

Letters of Recommendation

Essay

Interview

These are all factors admissions counselors will use to decide if you are a good match for their school. The more competitive the school, the harder they will scrutinize the quality of your admissions file.

Naviance

Manage and track all aspects of the admissions process.

Delivers all of the supporting documents for college applications to approximately 1,000 colleges.

Provides valuable insight into the college admissions process with college search, scatter grams, scholarship information and college application statistics

So much more!

Perform a College Search

Choose the criteria you are looking for in your

dream school

Research Schools

Keep Track of Schools You Are Considering

Track Submitted Applications

Standardized Tests SAT I – Reasoning Test

Three-hours 45 minutes

Primarily multiple-choice test that measures critical reading, math, and writing abilities that develop over time.

Many colleges require SAT scores for admission.

www.collegeboard.org

SAT II – Subject Tests One-hour

Primarily multiple-choice tests that measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge.

More selective colleges may require or recommend one or more Subject Tests for admission or placement.

ACT – Assessment Test Three-hours 25 minutes

Measures educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

It is recommended students choose to take the optional writing section of the test.

www.actstudent.org

Financial Aid

The financial aid process may seem complicated, but in its simplest form it comes down to understanding five easy steps: 

FAFSA

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) soon after January 1 of the year you intend to enroll in school.  Check with each of the colleges to which you apply for specific deadlines. Be certain to ask if any other supplemental forms (such as the CSS Profile Form or institutional financial aid form) are required. 

E.F. What?

After completing the FAFSA, your information is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. The DOE calculates, your ability to pay for the cost of attendance for one academic year.  Your ability to pay is called the EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC).

EFC= amt. of the money student and parent are expected to contribute to the student's education for one academic year.

Financial Aid Night at HHS presented in 01/2014 by MEFA.

C.O. Who?

The Department of Education sends the FAFSA information, including the EFC, to every school you listed on the FAFSA. The financial aid officers subtract your EFC from the COST OF ATTENDANCE (COA) to determine your eligibility for financial aid.  

Gap…like at the mall?

The financial aid officer calculates, based on the campus’ available resources, the amount of financial aid the institution is able to offer the student.

BE AWARE: Because a student is eligible for a certain amount of financial aid does not mean the student is guaranteed to receive that amount. The unmet need is called the GAP.

If it’s an Award Letter why don’t I feel like a winner?

The financial aid officer sends the student an AWARD LETTER that details the amount of financial aid the college is able to offer the student. The aid is broken into categories of loans, grants, scholarships and work-study.

Financial Aid Resources

Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) www.mefa.org

FinAid www.finaid.org

FAFSA www.fafsa.ed.gov

Fast Web www.fastweb.com

Make an Appointment With Your Counselor!

The sooner you start talking to your guidance counselor, the less

daunting this process will seem…don’t wait until the last minute!

Q&AKnowledge is love and light and

vision.~ Helen Keller ~